§ 03 Trade wages
Painters in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
Painters in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro earned a median of $26.91 an hour in May 2025 (BLS OEWS), 13% higher than the national median of $23.75. The middle half earned $22.71 to $31.96. About 4,040 people work in this occupation here. That ranks 51 of 225 metros with a reliable estimate for this trade. These are employee wages, not what a contractor bills you per hour.
BLS OEWS May 2025 · SOC 47-2141
Painters, San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
25th pct$22.71per hour
Median$26.91per hour
75th pct$31.96per hour
10th pct$21.33
90th pct$40.16
Mean$28.76
Workers4,040
Your multiplier: ×2.0Median wage × multiplier: $54/hr
OEWS reports what employers pay these workers per hour. A contractor’s bill also covers the business: insurance, licensing, vehicles, tools, office staff, warranty callbacks, unbilled travel time and profit. The wage is a floor for understanding a quote, never a price. You set the multiplier; we publish no typical markup because we have no citable source for one.What else is in a bill for this trade
- Prep time (scraping, patching, priming) often exceeds painting time
- EPA lead-safe certification and containment for pre-1978 homes
- Paint and supplies, sometimes billed separately
BLS OEWS May 2025 · San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA · mean RSE 2.8%Employee wages from the BLS employer survey. Not what a contractor bills.